Enhancements to O365 Groups Calendar in Outlook - Never miss an event sent to a group.

[Ravin Sachdeva]

Groups in Outlook is being used by millions of users worldwide to improve collaboration and be more productive working with a group of people – be it for project collaboration, organizational groups or classroom groups.

One key feedback we have received from you is that users sometimes miss group events as the invites sent to a group do not show up in the members' personal calendars.

Responding to this feedback around lost or missed group calendar invites, we will soon be rolling out a key enhancement to group calendar feature. With this enhancement, members of a group would always receive a copy of an event that was sent to a group in their personal inbox (in addition to the group mailbox), irrespective of their subscription settings for that group. Members can then action (accept/tentative/decline) on that invite just like they do for their personal calendar invites in their inbox. This way, members will always be in the know of all the group calendar events, and the event organizers can confidently create events without the fear of members missing events.

Thanks for your continued feedback for O365 Groups, and keep it coming.

This enhancement will be available to all O365 Groups users in the coming weeks. So, take it for a spin and let us know how you feel.

Additional Info: https://support.office.com/en-us/article/Schedule-a-meeting-on-a-group-calendar-0cf1ad68-1034-4306-b...

[#2]

This is great to hear. I see that July updates are starting to roll out to insiders, and I'm eager to begin testing. Can you give us a hint on what to expect from the updated user interface? i.e. will there be a similar "send an invitation to the group" check box like the web-based outlook?

[#3]

Hi Stephen,

For users, they can double click on a specific time on the group calendar, or right click on a time, or with the group calendar selected/open and select "Add an appointment" (right click options or ribbon). In the bottom of the appointment form, they would see the destination that appointment will get saved into.

I will follow up once we know schedule of this flight rollout.  

Thanks,

Krish

[#4]

We are running outlook 2016 enterprise. I hope this feature will be available for this version and not just the Office 365 version of Office. And if so, can you tell us what KB is applicable for this feature? Thanks Krish!

[#5]

Looks like this is now available in 8431.2079 (Monthly Targeted) !

The "New Appointment" is no longer a "New Meeting Request"

I can now plan the transition from public folder calendars to groups.

[#6]

Maybe I am missing something but this still seems confusing to me. If I double click a time it automatically adds myself and the group in To... field. If I manually delete that and then save it appears to save only on group calendar. However it isn't obvious to delete recipents and hit save rather than send to do this. Is that the way it is supposed to work?

[#7]

Well stated.  Surely that's not the way it was designed to work....???  I'm hoping to get some clarification here.

[#8]

Hi @Brian Hoyt, @Greg Maschman - can you please help me understand your workflow steps?

Currently, these are the ways in which you can create an appointment on a group calendar in Outlook Dekstop (Win 32 client):

1. Go to the Group shared space for a group and from the ribbon select New Items -> Appointment. A new appointment compose form will open. Just add the details and click on Save & Close.

2. Visit the Group shared space for the group and select Calendar from the ribbon. Your Outlook will switch to the Calendar module. Make sure the Group calendar is selected in the left nav and you see the Group calendar in your view. On the Group calendar, right click on the time you want to use and click New Appointment. The appointment creation form will open and just add the details and click on Save & Close.

3. Follow the same steps in #2 and double click on the time/day you want to set the appointment for. The appointment creation form will open and just add the details and click on Save & Close.

Please confirm if you're not able to see the workflows described above.

Hope this clarifies.

[#9]

If I do 1. I get an appointment on my personal calendar not on group calendar? If I do 2. or 3. the behavior is identical. It automatically invites me and the entire group unless I manually delete them from To... box. Then I can't click send (since I am not sending it to anyone) and can only click save and then close item.

It seemed according to Krish and your earlier statements that you could easily create an item only on group calendar without being on personal calendar or inviting group members.

I am on Build 8431.2079 in case it matters.

[#10]

Yes, this works now!!!  Thanks!!!

Earlier, even after it was reported that it would work, I was getting a screen that wanted to send out an invite.

This now works as I assumed it would.

Thanks again!!!!

Greg

I'm on 1708(build 8431.2079 Click-to-Run)

[#11]

Ok, what am I missing? I feel like I am not following instructions or something?

[#12]

I wonder if it is taking a while to "roll out"?  I had the same issue you did just a few days ago.  But, now it is working as it should.

[#13]

Did you click on your group before you clicked on "New Items - Appointments"?

[#14]

Here is where I am clicking:

Then I get this:

If I do it from within the calendar either right clicking or double clicking I get this:

The difference being In Folder at bottom and appears to be invitation. Is there some setting I need to change for groups in Office 365 admin?

[#15]

That is bizarre..... I got that same thing (bottom screen-shot) a few days ago, but now I don't....
I'm not aware of any settings to change in the group.....

[#16]

@Ravin Sachdeva

Is there a way to see in Outlook a Group Calendar side-by-side with a personal calendar?

[#17]

My group calendars show up in the calendar section of Outlook 2016 called My Calendars (along with my user account's calendar). I can show them both just like anyone else's calendar.

[#18]

Hi Greg.

Thanks for your answer.

Unfortunately, my group calendars are not in that section, where I have only my personal calendars (i.e. from my accounts).

I have tried to add them, but I didn't find the way.

Someone knows how to do it?

TIA

[#19]

See if any of these suggestions help:
https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/Outlook/outlook-groups-not-showing-in-outlook-2016/td-p/21019

One said that you have to have your group in your favorites and then it will show up. I DO have mine in my favorites.... That would be weird, but maybe give it a try....

[#20]

This might be because of flighting delays. Please bear with us for a bit till you are setup on the latest set of flights.

[#21]

We are currently working on bringing all your group calendars on the left nav pane in Outlook. This will be completed in the next few months.

Currently, we show only those calendars which are from Favorite groups. So, at the moment, if you Favorite a group you should be able to see that Calendar side-by-side with your personal calendar.

Please let us know if this does not work for you.